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Let ALP members pick senators: Faulkner

Labor elder John Faulkner is proposing a series of sweeping reforms to stamp out corruption in the NSW branch of the party.

His plan includes giving ordinary ALP members the power to select state and federal upper house candidates.

Complaining that the likes of Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald had tainted the party and diminished the contribution of hard-working Labor members, Senator Faulkner wants to change party rules at its NSW state conference.

In a letter to NSW Labor members, he said the party needed to introduce changes "not just to stamp out corruption but to strengthen the future of our party and our capacity to govern".

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He said the party could not escape responsibility for the actions of individuals like former state MPs Obeid and Macdonald, found to have acted corruptly.

"The party's culture made possible their behaviour and a confidence such behaviour would not be held to account," he wrote.

Senator Faulkner said the NSW ALP annual conference in July was the first opportunity at a state or national level to pursue the anti-corruption measures.

The Labor stalwart wants to include mention of "integrity" into statements of the party's principles and objectives, as well as eligibility criteria for candidates.

But the most significant reform would be transferring preselection of state upper house candidates and NSW Senate candidates into the hands of all members.

"Changing the rules to include statements about integrity and ethical behaviour while leaving power within the NSW Branch concentrated in the hands of a tiny number of factional leaders would be nothing but window dressing," he wrote.

"Our present system rewards intrigue, trading favours and doing deals. Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald or their ilk would not be able to win preselection in a genuinely democratic process where all party members cast a vote."

Senator Faulkner's calls for reform coincide with those of Labor leader Bill Shorten, who wants to scrap rules which require members belong to a union.

Senator Faulkner, along with former NSW premier Bob Carr and former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, conducted a review of the party structure after its disappointing 2010 federal election result.

The review called for greater membership involvement in selecting party candidates, as well as a form of community preselections.

The NSW Labor conference is already expected to complete reforms which began in July 2013, when then Labor leader Kevin Rudd ordered national intervention in the state branch.

The conference will be asked to endorse the final reform: giving rank-and-file members at least a 50 per cent say on the powerful administrative committee.

Acting opposition leader Penny Wong welcomed Senator Faulkner's proposal, saying it was part of the discussion about party reform.

"It's a useful contribution by Senator Faulkner to what is a very important conversation inside of Labor," she told reporters in Adelaide.